Platform-folding device for reapers.



No. 856,986. u PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907, G. A. A. RAND. PLAT FORM FOLDINGDEVICE FOR REAPERS.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 29, 1907.

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PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

0. A. A. RAND. PLATFORM FOLDING DEVICE FOR REAPERS APPLICATION FILEDMAR. 29, 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PLATFORM-FOLDING DEVICE FOR REAPERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed March 29,1907. Serial No. 365,232.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CI-IARLEs A. A. RAND, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvernent inPlatform-Folding Devices for Reapers, of which the following is acomplete specification.

This invention relates to reapers provided with folding platforms, andmore particularly to the members employed in securing the platform inits elevated position and in its normal working position, the objectbeing to provide simple and effective means for accomplishing suchresults, and means in which the platform brace is employed to sup portthe platform in both its up and down positions.

A further object in view is to provide a pendent strut for supportingthe grain side of the reaper when raising the said platform.

Other improvements in the details of construction will appear in thefollowing description and in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure1 represents a rear elevation, partly in section, of the main portion ofa reaping machine. Fig. 2 is a plan of the platform support and partsassociated therewith. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section takenthrough the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows a transverse sectionthrough the platform support, taken on the line a e of Fig. 2. Fig. 5represents a view of the under side of the outer end of the platformsupport, taken as indicated by the line 55 in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 shows afragmentary rear elevation of the upper or pivotal end of the pendentstrut on the platform support. Fig. 7 represents a plan view of the reelarm support with the roller of the reel arm resting thereon; and Fig. 8is an elevation of the parts shown in the preceding figure, taken asindicated by the line 8-8 in Fig. 1.

In the drawings the main frame is designated by the numeral 1, the mainsupporting wheel by 2, and the grain wheel by 3. On the main frame 1 ismounted the reaper head 4, provided with the usual reel or rake arms 5,and to the member 1 of the mam frame is hinge connected the foldingplatform frame 6, the pivotal axis being formed by the The parts of thereaper thus far mentioned are common to all such machines, and no claimto novelty is made thereto. The new features reside in the platformsupport and elements connected therewith, which will now be described.

To the underside of the main frame 1 are secured the two angle bars 7,the upper members, or legs, of said bars being arranged hori zontally tooppose each other and are placed a slight distance apart in order toleave a slot 8, in which slides the platform brace 9. These angle barsextend outwardly beneath the grain platform 6 and have rigidly securedto their outer ends the wheel and brace casting 10, which has formedthereon the bracket 10 adapted to receive the grain wheel rack 3 Thiscasting 10 is provided with an aperture 10 as shown, in which slides thebrace 9. On the rear side of the casting 10 is pivotally mounted thespring-held pawl, or latch, 11, which engages the teeth on the wheelrack 3 thereby enabling the grain wheel 3 to be readily attached ordetached from the casting 10. The outer end of the brace 9 is piv otallymounted in the bracket 12, which is fixed on the underside of theplatform, the pivotal bearing being formed by means of the pin 13.Surrounding the projecting end of this pin 13, and reacting between theplatform and brace 9, is the coil spring 14 (see Fig. 5), which tends topress the free end of said brace downwardly. The free end of the brace 9terminates in the laterally bent end 9 which slides beneath and is heldfrom upward movement by the rear angle bar 7. As the platform 6 israised from its normal to elevated position, the bent end 9 slides underthe angle bar from its inner to its outer position, or from the fullline position of Fig. 2 to the dotted line position of Fig. 3, in whichlatter position the laterally bent end 9 rests upon the ledge 10 of thecasting 10.

The brace 9 is locked in its horizontal position, or in the position inwhich it securely holds the platform in normal working posi-. tion, bymeans of the transversely movable lever 15, which engages the undersideof the end of said brace 9.

Pivotally mounted to the angle bars 7, at a point substantiallycoincident with the pivotal axis 6 of the platform 6, is the pendentstrut 16, with its pivotal axis at 16. This strut 16 is preferablyU-shaped, with the legs extending upwardly and pivoting to the outerside of the angle bars 7 The rear leg of the strut 16 is bent in such amanner that when folded up it will lie parallel to its supporting anglebar, and secured to said leg, in

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the rear of the pivotal axis of the lever 15, is a shoulder 17 which,with the bend in said leg, operates to hold the lever 15 in positionbeneath the end of the brace 9 and lock same in its horizontal position.T o lock the strut 16 in either its folded or its vertical position, thefollowing described means are employed: A sector strap 18 is secured tothe inner side of the rear angle bar 7 by means of the rivets 18 and inthe arcuate portion of this strap are formed the apertures 18 and 18adapted to be engaged by the spring held' latch pin 19." This latch pin19 is carried by the strut 16 and engages an aperture therein, the samebracket 17 in which said latch pin is mounted also having formed thereonthe shoulder 17 I/Vhen the end of the latch pin 19 is made to engage theaperture 18 in the sector 18 the strut will be locked in its verticalposition or in a position to support the grain side of the reaper; but

' when the endjof said latch is made to engage the aperture 18', thestrut will be locked in its folded position. If at the same time thatthe strut 16 is folded the lever 15 be brought back behind the shoulder17*, this lever will simultaneously be locked, which will also lock thebrace 9 in its horizontal position. To prevent the strut 16 beingpressed into the soil a foot 16 of considerable breadth is secured tothe lower transverse member thereof.

Before folding the platform 6 it is necessary to raise the reel or rakearm overlying same to a non-interfering position and sustain it there.This is done by providing a spring-locked swing arm 20 mounted on thereaper frame, or more properly on the frame of the reaper head. The boss20, in which the swing arm is mounted, is provided with the notch 20 theaxis of said arm projecting through the boss and taking the coil spring20 By pulling the arm outwardly a slight distance and compressing thespring 20 the arm can be swung to either its upper or its lowerposition. When in its upper position the arm 20 thereof will engage theroller 5 of the reel arms 5, as shown in Fig. 8 and in dotted lines inFig. 1.

To fold the platform for transportation the latch pin 19 is withdrawnand the strut 16 dropped to a vertical position and there locked bypermitting the latch pin to engage the aperture 18 in the sector 18. Thelever 15 is then moved to the left, or from the full to the dotted lineposition of Fig. 2, thereby releasing the brace 9. The grain wheel 3 isthendetached from the outside of the platform and the overlying rake arm5 lifted up and its roller 5 allowed to rest upon the top of the swingarm 20, which has been turned to its upper position. The platform is nowraised, the platform brace moving from the full to the dotted lineposition shown in Fig. 3, as before explained, and the coil spring 14pressing the brace against the ledge 10 of the casting 10 to prevent anybinding action of these parts in such movement. When the platform hasbeen raised to its elevated position, the spring 14 will press-the bentend 9 to a position on top of the ledge 10 where it will rest until theplatform is again lowered. The grain wheel 3 is now attached to thecasting 10, as before explained, after which the strut 16 is folded upand the machine is ready for transportation.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is:

1. In a platform folding device for reapers, in combination, a reaperframe, a platform frame hinge-connected thereto, a platform supportfixed rigidly to the reaper frame and made to extend outwardly beneathsaid platform, a grain wheel adapted to be attached either to the outerend of the platform or to the outer end of the platform support, and abrace having at one end a pivotal connection with the platform andadapted to rigidly secure the same in either its folded position or inits normal working position.

2. In a platform folding device for reapers, in combination, a reaperframe, a platform frame hinge-connected thereto, a platform supportfixed rigidly to the reaper frame and made to extend outwardly beneathsaid platform, a grain wheel adapted to be attached either to the outerend of the platform or to the outer end of the platform support, and abrace having at one end a pivotal connection with the platform and atthe other end an interlocking connection with the inner end of theplatform support for rigidly sustaining the said platform in its workingposition, and also an interlocking connection with the outer end of saidsupport for rigidly sustaining the platform in its elevated position,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a platform folding device for reapers, in combination, a reaperframe, a platform frame hinge-connected thereto, a platform supportfixed rigidly to the reaper frame and made to extend outwardly beneathsaid platform, a grain wheel adapted to be attached either to the outerend of the platform or to the outer end of the platform support, a bracehaving a pivotal connection at its outer end with the platform andinterlocking con nections at its inner end with the platform supportwhereby said brace is adapted to hold the platform either in normalworking position or in a folded position, and a spring operating toswing said brace away from the platform. 7

4. In a platform folding device for reapers, in combination, a reaperframe, a platform frame hinge-connected thereto, a platform supportfixed rigidly t0 the reaper frame and made to extend outwardly beneathsaid platform, a grain Wheel adapted to be at- ICC IIO

taehed either to the outer end of the plat- I wheel and brace castingbinding together the form or to the outer end of the platform supouterends of said angle bars, a grain wheel port, a brace having at its outerend a pivotal connection with the platform and adapted to rigidly securethe same in either its folded position or in its normal workingposition, and a pendent strut pivotally secured to the platform supportfor sustaining the grain side of the reaper while changing the grainwheel from the platform to the platform support.

5. In a platform folding device for reapers, in combination, a reaperframe, a platform frame hinge-connected thereto, a platform supportfixed rigidly to the reaper frame and made to extend outwardly beneathsaid platform, a grain wheel adapted to be attached either to the outerend of the platform or to the outer end of the platform support, a bracehaving at one end a pivotal connection with the platform and adapted torigidly secure the same in either its folded poition or in its normalworking position, a lever for locking said brace to secure the plat formin its normal working position, and a pendent strut arranged to locksaid lever in its brace-locking position and to also sustain the grainside of the reaper while changing the grain wheel from the platform tothe platform support.

6. In a platform folding device for reapers, in combination, a reaperframe, a platform frame hinge-connected thereto, a platform supportfixed rigidly to the reaper frame and made to extend outwardly beneathsaid platform, said support comprising two angle bars arranged aslightdistance apart to form a slot between their opposing edges, and aadapted to be attached either to the outer end of the platform or tosaid wheel and brace casting, a brace having a sliding conneetion withsaid casting and a pivotal connection at one end with said platform andadapted to rigidly secure the same in either its folded position or inits normal Working position, a lever for locking said brace to securethe platform in its normal working po sition, and a pendent strutarranged to lock said lever in its brace-locking position and to alsosustain the grain side of the reaper while changing the grain wheel fromthe platform to the wheel and brace casting.

7. In a platform folding device for reapers, in combination, a reaperframe, revolving reel arms mounted thereon, a platform framehinge-connected to said reaper frame, a platform support fixed rigidlyto the reaper frame and extending outwardly beneath said platform, agrain wheel adapted to be attached either to the outer end of theplatform or the platform support, a brace having at one end a pivotalconnection with the platform and adapted to rigidly secure the same ineither its folded position or in its normal working position, and aspring-locked swing arm mounted on the reaper frame and arranged toengage and support one of the reel arms when the platform frame is inits elevated position.

CHARLES A. A. RAND.

itnesses J. C. WVARNER, E. W. BURGESS.

